Escaping The Darkness
by ForeverDarkRider
Summary: Rei has a secret he doesn't want anyone to know. It haunts his every move and is slowly killing him inside. Can anyone save this distraught, abused neko-jin? KaiRei. Sinister Love revised. Different plot! YAOI VERSION! Rating now raised to M!
1. Chapter 1

**_Author's note:_ This is the edited version of my story, _Sinister Love._ There were a lot of mistakes and...presentation...issues, so I decided to fix it up since I kind of have writer's block. This chapter isn't all that different from the original, but the rest will probably be completely different. There will even be yaoi in this one! So if you don't like yaoi, go to the original story and read that one. It's only shonen-ai. ^ ^**

**_Warnings:_ OOCness, rape, torture, future yaoi! Don't like, don't read!**

**_Summary: _Rei has a dark past that he has never shared with anyone. When asked, he always evades the subject. Then he disappears! When he comes back, he has changed: physically, mentally, and emotionally. There's no way his friends are going to let him get away with keeping his past hidden now!**

**_Extra Info: _Rei is 15 in the flashbacks (along with everyone else) and when he comes back, he is 17 (obviously). Also, _"this means they are talking in Chinese."_**

**_Disclaimer: _I still do not own Beyblade, nor the characters in Beyblade, despite my obsession with them, so don't sue me. I am borrowing these wonderful characters, even though I would love to "own" them. Otherwise, Kai and Rei would have been all over each other the moment their eyes met. So, there. In simpler words: _I OWN NOTHING!_ **

**Chapter One**

**Bladebreakers' flat**

Kai sighed. Things hadn't been the same since Rei left for China two years ago. Kai still didn't understand how it had happened. Things had been going so well: the Bladebreakers were famous, Max and Tyson finally admitted their love for each other, Mariah had stopped chasing after Rei like a dog in heat (much to Kai's relief; he no longer had a reason to be jealous), and Kai was finally going to admit to the neko-jin how he felt about him. He had made the decision to tell Rei that he loved him. He may keep a cold façade but he was still human, he still had emotions, despite what he tried to portray to others. And he loved Rei; but Rei had left. He never told the others why, he just ran off about two hours after he got a phone call from some person unknown to them…

_**Flashback**_

Kai sat in the chair across from the couch that Rei was sitting on and watched him out of the corner of his eye (like he usually did), studying his lithe form. He wanted to tell the neko-jin how he felt, but couldn't find the right time to do it, so he just sat there, studying him as he waited for his chance. As always, the neko-jin was stunning. His tall form and his toned physique defined by his tanned skin made him stand out from the rest. His golden cat-like eyes just added to the effect, along with his pointed ears and canines. His long, gorgeous black hair came down past his waist, cascading down his shoulders and flowing elegantly over almost every curve of his body when left down. Now it was neatly pulled up in a wrap so that it was confined to just below the middle of his back. His sleeve-less, red Chinese shirt with the black tie around the waist, loose black pants, and his red bandanna with the yin-yang white tiger on it only made him look more appealing; they suited him perfectly, adding to the exotic air that seemed to radiate from him.

Kai studied him intently as Rei listened to Kenny, Tyson, and Max as they sat on the floor between him and Kai and told each other about their child-hoods. He noticed that Rei always acted peculiar when someone mentioned about their pasts, and when confronted about his, he always managed to change the subject quite smoothly without anyone even taking notice to the fact. Kai found that odd. Everyone was so open about their pasts, that is, everyone but Rei. Kai didn't go around parading about his past in the abbey, but when asked, he would at least, however vaguely, answer. He didn't like to, but he found it was necessary since the others had told him what their lives had been like before they became the Bladebreakers. Rei was different though. He never said anything about his past even when asked. No one other than the White Tigers knew anything about him before he joined with the Bladebreakers and it didn't look like anyone would be finding anything out about him anytime soon.

Kai looked at Rei more closely. The neko-jin had a very dark look on his face, one that Kai had never seen on him before. Rei was always so sweet and kind to everyone. It was odd, and it didn't suit him to look so menacing.

"So anyway, when I ate all that sugar and got stuck in a tree, my mom had to call the fire department to get me down!" Max laughed at his own story while Kenny and Tyson clutched their stomach, tears rolling down their cheeks from all the laughter.

Tyson turned to Rei. "Oh man, isn't that the funniest thing you've ever heard, Re-" Tyson halted in his sentence at the look on the neko-jin's face. "R-Rei?" At hearing the stutter in Tyson's voice, all eyes turned to look at Rei; the air in their lungs seemed to freeze at the sight before them. Rei was frowning and staring into space with such a bloodthirsty look in his eyes that it gave everyone chills, including Kai, though he would never admit it. When Rei noticed that everyone had been staring at him with a mixture of fear, curiosity, and wonder, he banished the look from his face. He plastered on a fake smile that must have been convincing, for everyone visibly relaxed and hesitant smiles flicked across their faces. The only one who was not fooled by his act was Kai, though he didn't say anything, watching for any further strange behavior.

"What?" Rei asked, feigning innocence.

"What were you thinking about that you had such a scary look on your face?" Kenny piped up before anyone else could even take a breath to say anything.

"So the kitty does have other emotions!" The ever-present Dizzi, never the one to miss an opportunity to back up her master, decided to give some input of her own.

Rei carefully put a blank look on his face before his displeasure at the computer's snide remark could show. He hadn't meant to show any expressions while thinking about his own past, but he had gotten so caught up in it that it was as if he were back there in that damp, cell-like basement. _His wrists were tied above his head and he tried to wriggle free of them. The man standing over him saw this and smiled sinisterly. He thought it was funny seeing the little kitten writhe in pain and wanted to cause him more. He tried not to cringe or cry out as the whip bit into his bare flesh over and over again, not wanting to give the man the satisfaction of knowing that he was hurting him. "...having...fun?" he managed to gasp out between strikes. He looked up just before the next blow and looked into eyes that mirrored his own hatred. He would never forgive him. He would never forgive…_

A gasp drew him out of the dark recesses of his mind, of his past. Apparently he was making faces again while he was caught in his hellish(1) memories, because Max was hiding behind Tyson who was whimpering, and Kenny was sitting there looking scared and lost as to what was making his friend look so scary as he clutched Dizzi to his chest in a death grip, as if the bit beast could somehow shield him. Rei looked anxiously over to Kai. Kai looked shocked and confused for a moment before quickly wiping the look from his face, and his eyes became hooded once more, blocking the emotions out, the cold façade back in place. Rei looked down at his hands that were entwined in his lap to gather his his composure. After successfully reining in his emotions, he lifted his head once more. "What?" he asked.

No one spoke for a moment before Kai asked the question that was on everyone's minds. "What the hell is this? You're not acting like your usual self." He replied coolly. Everyone nodded in agreement at Kai's words and Rei just shrugged, an innocent smile residing on his face. His eyes looked anything but innocent. They looked ready to murder before he blinked and the poorly-hidden emotion quickly dissipated.

"I-" Rei was interrupted by the ringing of the phone before he could say anymore and inaudibly sighed in relief. 'Saved by the phone' he thought. "I'll get it." He got up to answer the phone, all eyes on him. They were all thinking the same thing as they watched Rei answer the phone-_he wasn't avoiding the subject this time. They would get to the bottom of their friend's strange behavior._

Rei picked up the phone and answered it with a short 'Hello?' He was answered with a maniacal laugh that seemed to slither through the phone. Rei involuntarily stiffened at what was said. "_**Reeeeiiiii**_," the sinister singsong voice came through the reciever from the other end of the phone. "_**It's time to plaaaaay**_." It said again.

Rei's mind careened. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to alert his friends to the fact that something was wrong; he didn't want them involved in his problems. He took a deep breath and relaxed his body as much as he could. "**_What is it…Dad?_**" he asked calmly.

TBC

**(1)Hellish: I'm not really sure if that's a word, I just thought that it would fit. Let me know if it doesn't and I'll think of something else to put there! ^ ^**

**_A/N: _Well, I hope that this was a little better than the original, _Sinister Love,_ for those of you who have read it. For those of you who haven't read it, I hope you liked it! I didn't change much in this chapter, but a lot will probably be changed in the others. I don't really like how the original turned out, so I'm going to be editing it for a while. There will eventually be some yaoi in it, so it _is _rated T for now, but it _will_ go up to M in later chapters. Basically, this will be my experimental lemon that will help me get a feel for it before I make the lemon for _Son of a Yakuza!_ (_If_ I end up making it myself and don't have...my secret author who will later be revealed...make it.)**

**Anyway, until the next edited chapter, or until I finish Chapter One of _Son of a Yakuza!_ (Which I am working on but am having a hard time coming up with good details to create the story...)**

**Thanks and hope to see you soon! ~Rider~**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Author's note: _Here is the next updated/edited chapter! Thank you sooo much to: _Suzanne, Sonata Hirano, Kiki Ling, You Can Run But You Can't Hide, and Kitty_ for reviewing! I really appreciate it! This chapter is so much longer than the last, and the original! I've started on Chapter Three, so it shouldn't take me too long to update! I would have had this up sooner but I somehow downloaded a virus and my computer was temporarily out of commission ='( Anyway! It is really long so far! It's over 4,000 words, my longest yet! I'm so proud of myself XD -pats self on back- Well, it will probably be longer so I'm really excited! It's already so much longer than the original ^ ^ Thanks for stickin' with me so far!**

**_Disclaimer: __I OWN NOTHING OF BEYBLADE! _(Except the story of course)**

**Chapter Two**

"_**I want you to come home, Rei**_." Rei' s father said darkly, sending chills down his back. He tried to cover his visible shaking by wrapping his arms around himself. He didn't want to show any weakness; his friends were still watching him for strange behavior. "_**We used to have so much fun!**_" The man then laughed so gleefully at the neko-jin's expense that Rei grew nauseas and he began to tremble. He moved to sit on the couch he had just vacated and slumped down, closing his eyes momentarily to compose himself before opening them again.

"_**Why now?**_" He asked, glad to find that he had managed to keep his voice from wavering. His friends were suspicious enough; he didn't want them to see his fear. One slip-up and the questions would be firing everywhere.

Watching him so intently that they would be able to pick up any sign of fear or other emotion in his voice or on his face, the Bladebreakers never looked away. Not wanting them to pry, Rei smiled as if he were having a pleasant conversation with a long-time friend.

He wouldn't, _couldn't_ let the others find out the secret he had kept to himself for years. Not that he didn't trust them, but he was afraid of rejection. What if they thought he was disgusting? Contaminated? Dirty? After all he'd been through, he no longer thought the same way normal people should. What if they thought he was abnormal and didn't want to be around him anymore? The only way he can cope with his past was when he was with his friends. They helped him in so many ways without even realizing it. He wouldn't be able to continue to live if they weren't near him. He would die if he were to be pushed away again.

Even now, the darkness threatened to consume him, body and soul, especially with all his memories resurfacing just from hearing his father's voice. The feelings and emotions rising within him were sickening in their intensity.

What would the others do if they found out what he had been through, what he had done? So many people had pushed him away after finding out, what if they were the same? After all, they really knew no loyalty to eachother, had no ties. They were even completely different races; he a neko-jin, them humans.

They didn't seem like the type, but he knew from first-hand experience how people's feelings can change when they delve into other's lives too deeply.

He could just imagine the disgusted looks on his friends' faces. Either that, or pity. He couldn't handle either.

There was one person's reactions though that he couldn't predict: Kai. He was so unpredictable and he hid his emotions so well. He was a mystery, one that Rei longed to solve, but didn't, out of guilt. If he didn't allow others to see who he really was, why should he strive to find out who others really are?

Rei was jolted out of his thoughts when his father answered his earlier question. "_**I have waited long enough for you to come home. If you don't come home, I could always come and get you.**_" He laughed at that and Rei shivered slightly. "_**You live with your friends right? That's how I found you. Good thing you suddenly became famous in that silly championship thing, eh? The Bladebreakers...maybe I should introduce myself to your friends.**_" Rei could hear the sneer in his father's voice and knew that he would take sick enjoyment in torturing and killing his friends if it meant hurting Rei. Rei had always wished death upon himself when he was still living with his father. Of course, his father would never allow the sweet essence of death to envelop him, oh no, he wanted Rei to suffer. Rei may have wished death upon himself many times, but he would never wish it on any of his friends. They were too precious to him, and they didn't deserve it; they were better than that.

'Besides, I deserve the pain.' Rei thought grimly to himself. 'After what I did to them…' "_**Don't you dare. I'll meet you somewhere. Where are you?**_" Rei practically hissed at his father, putting on a fake smile for his friends, attempting to get the warning across to his father while still sounding pleasant to his friends. 'They must never know about this. They won't get hurt because of me!' Rei silently vowed to himself.

"**_I just got into town. You're a hard person to track down, you know that?_**" Rei bristled when his father obviously ignored his question. He knew it was just to bait him, but it still irked him none-the-less."**_It took me a while to get this phone number. I had to get it from a woman, one of the organizers of the Beyblade tournaments. She didn't want to tell me, said it was 'confidential.' Took a while to...get it out of her._**" The man chuckled and Rei shivered. He could only imagine what his father had done to "get it out of her," but it could only be something sick if his father was so elated by it.

"_**What did you do to her? Did you kill her?**_" Rei was afraid to ask, but he knew he wouldn't be able to let it go without asking.

"_**Ha! Of course not, son,**_" he replied in a sickly sweet voice. "_**I only played with her for a little bit and she lost consciousness. Bitch.**_" Rei breathed a small sigh of relief that the woman was not killed, careful not to let his teammates see, but his relief was short-lived as his father continued, his tone a little brighter. "_**When I was done though, she was a bit of a mess. She had cried and her make-up smeared. And she had blood and sweat all over herself. I figured she could use a bath, so I took her to the lake and put her in.**_" He paused for a moment as if remeniscing and Rei's heart dropped. 'Oh God...please no...' he thought desperately. "_**She must have been pretty happy,**_" he continued, "_**because she just sank right down and didn't come back up!**_" Gleeful laughter could be heard streaming through the phone at that.

"_**...so...**_" Rei swallowed the lump in his throat and threw a furtive glance at his companions still staring intently at him. Drawing in a deep breath, he prayed that his voice wouldn't break as he tried to speak. He felt as if his heart had jumped into his esophagus and was lodged there, ready to burst out as soon as it got the chance. "_**So you killed her**._" The shaken teen stated.

"**_Oh no, Rei._**" The man chided calmly, as if he were speaking to a child who didn't understand. "_**She was alive when I took her to bathe.**_"

Rei's cat-like eyes narrowed into slits and his breathing became uneven and shallow. "**_How many more people are going to die for you to be satisfied?_**"

His father didn't answer. Instead, he just chuckled amusedly. "**_Meet me at the Chardine Motel(1) before midnight. And don't tell anyone. I don't want any annoying visitors when we leave. Or when we get back to China for that matter. Understood?_**"

Rei glanced at his friends once more before nodding. Remembering that he was talking on the phone and his father couldn't see him, he voiced his agreement. "**_I understand. I'll be there._**"

Rei could hear the smile in his father's voice as he gave a short 'Good,' making Rei cringe inwardly as to what was to come. He hung up without another word. He would have hung up earlier if he weren't trying to keep up the pretense of having a perfectly normal and pleasant conversation. He would have even ran away. But with his father so near and with information on where they were staying, and even the phone number to reach them at, he couldn't risk his friends' safety. He had no choice but to cooperate.

Rei looked up after setting the phone down on the hook, and, not surprisingly found four sets of curious eyes upon him, silently asking the question he dreaded. Kai beat them all to the punch. "Who was that?"

"An old friend." The neko answered simply. He knew they wanted to ask more questions, but before they could, he stood up, muttered something about using the bathroom, and stalked off up the steps, feeling his friends' eyes burning into his back until he was out of sight. Instead of heading to the bathroom though, he headed towards his room to pack his things.

_**…**_

Downstairs, the remaining members of the nationally famous Bladebreakers exchanged worried glances. Max was the first one to break the silence. "Rei was acting strange wasn't he?" The other three nodded in agreement, all of them lost in thought.

"Why was he talking in Chinese? Don't all the White Tigers speak English? He always talks in English so we can all understand. He's never tried to hide his conversations from us." Kenny pointed out.

Dizzi piped up. "Maybe it was someone we don't know? Someone that doesn't speak English?"

"You have a point Dizzi, but wasn't he acting strange...?" Kenny retorted.

The bit-beast flashed on the computer screen in silent agreement to her handler.

"Umm...Maybe we should just leave him alone for now so he can sort things out and check on him after we eat?" Tyson's stomach growled in agreement.

Max groaned. "You always thing about food first, everything else later!"

"I do not! I just don't think well on an empty stomach!"

Kai tuned the two lovers out as he thought about the look on Rei's face when he first answered the phone. He hadn't looked happy and obviously hadn't meant to show it. He had quickly put on an emotionless expression and purposely pasted a smile on for them to try and convince them that everything was all right. Everything was not all right though, and he knew that he wasn't the only one to notice the strange behavior. And those strange reactions...Kai couild have sworn he saw Rei shiver in fear a couple times...

Tyson turned to Kai and forced him out of his thoughts. "Who's right, me or Max?"

"Hn." Was Kai's only response as he stalked off towards the kitchen.

"See! He thinks food is a good idea too!"

"Idiot. It's not for you." Kai replied as he searched the cupboards for something for Rei to eat.

_**…**_

Half an hour later and Rei had already finished packing his bags and scribbled a note down on a piece of paper to his friends:

_Went back to China. Won't be back._

_Rei_

Rei looked at the note he had written. It was cold and heartless, not something he would normally do. 'Maybe I should rewrite it...?' he thought to himself.

"No," he mumbled aloud to himself, "it has to be this way. They can't come looking for me..."

Rei felt bad about leaving like this, but it was the only way to protect them. If he left a friendly note, they may try to visit him. If they did that, they would either discover his secret or they would get hurt. Or both. Rei shivered. He could not, would not allow that. This was the only way to protect them, so that's what he was going to do.

He walked silently over to the window and opened it, looking down at the ground below. He was on the third floor, but he could jump. He was a neko-jin after all, and cats always land on their feet-he smiled wryly at that last thought.

He took one last look at his beyblade, which he had left on his bed. He longed to take it with him, but his father would just break it, so he took Driger, his bit-beast, and placed it in a hidden pocket in his bag where it was less likely that his father would find it. At least he wouldn't have to leave him behind, along with his friends and the only happiness he'd known since...

Rei shook off those melancholy thoughts and looked back at his bit-beast one more time before zipping the small pocket closed. He didn't know what he would do without Driger's comfort.

Lifting his backpack that was full of his clothes, he dropped it out the window. With that, he turned and jumped out the window after it into the alley below. Nimbly scooping up his bag, and, without missing a beat, he gracefully took off running in the direction he knew the hotel was at, where he would see his father once more…

**_…_**

Kai walked up the steps with a platter of sandwiches cradled in his palm. It had taken longer than he thought it would to find something to make for Rei. Kai was no cook, so he couldn't _make_ something for Rei, but he could at least put something together for him.

Kai's inexperience in the kitchen-he practically had to search every drawer and cupboard just to find a plate, much less a butter knife to spread the mayonaise, and the lunch meat and condoments to go on the sandwich-coupled with the fact that Tyson kept stealing the sandwiches, whether he was done with them or not, really slowed him down. He had eventually gotten fed up with him and gave him a bag of chips and locked him in the bathroom with them so he could actually get something done. He was seriously considering leaving the Beyblade champion in there all night, but decided against it since it was the only full sized bathroom.

Smiling slightly to himself as he reached the landing, he walked the short distance to Rei's room and knocked on the door. After getting no answer, he knocked louder.

"Rei?" He called out uncharacteristicly soft before opening the door. Walking into the room, he didn't see Rei so he set the platter down on a nearby nightstand and stepped back into the hallway. 'Maybe he's still in the bathroom' he thought to himself. Stepping back out into the hallway, he walked to the bathroom door but noticed it was ajar. Stepping into the small half-bath, he frowned when he was sure that Rei wasn't in there and walked back towards the younger boy's room.

"Where could he be?" he mumbled aloud to himself. He took one last look around the room. As he did so, a small piece of paper on the bed next to Rei's beyblade caught his eye. "Odd..." he muttered. Rei often wrote letters to the White Tigers back home, but he never left anything out. He was such a neat freak it was almost scary.

Sauntering over to the bed, Kai picked up the small piece of paper before reading it at a glance. Shocked, and not believing what he saw written in black and white before him, he re-read the note that was obviously meant for them.

"Rei...went back to China?" Kai asked himself disbelievingly. Had they done something to upset him? Was it his fault? The letter was so...cold. So short and sweet and to-the-point. 'Why...?' he thought exhasperatedly.

Kai picked up the beyblade that Rei so loved and examined it. The bit-beast was gone.

Cautiously walking over to Rei's dressers, he pulled them all open one by one. Frustrated, he moved to the closet on the wall opposite the bed and yanked the doors open. What he saw made him growl in frustration. All of Rei's possessions that he would take with him if he were to leave were gone. He had everything he needed; there was no reason to come back.

Devastated, Kai could only imagine what the others would do. Still grasping the beyblade, he picked up the plate off the nightstand and began slowly walking down the stairs, to inform the others of the news…

_**End Flashback**_

**(1)Chardine Motel: I just made that up. I don't know if there is such a thing and if there is, I don't own it.**

**Well, I hope this chapter turned out okay! It's not as different as I thought it was going to be but...there is still a lot of things in there that weren't before. Hopefully I'll be able to add some new plot to the next chapter (I'm already half way through and I think it's...pretty different, to be honest ^ ^)**

**Well, see yah! ~Rider~**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Author's Note: _Thank you all for reading ^ ^ I really think that _Escaping The Darkness_ is turning out better than _Sinister Love,_ but what do you guys think? You're the readers so...yeah. Have I improved some? _Sinister Love_ _was_ my first fanfic ever, so I didn't expect it to be all that good, and I _never in a million years _imagined that I would get so many readers for such a crappy fic! -stunned- Anyway! Thank you guys sooo much! I hope you continue to read the revised version! The plot _will_ change, and the lemon that I was debating on _will_ be made! You have been warned ^ ^ Hope you guys enjoy it when the time comes...**

**_WARNING!: INCESTRAL RAPE BETWEEN MEN! Yes! This is yaoi-boy on boy-and yes! There is incest! Not willing I might add, thus the RAPE! Don't like? Then don't read the part between the lines! You will not miss anything! Promise!_**

**_Disclaimer: -_Blah blah blah- I do not own Beyblade -blah blah blah- and so forth. **

**Chapter Three**

_**BBA Reunion, Beyblade Stadium: Large Meeting Room**_

Sighing, Kai continued to sulk in the corner of the large ball room by himself. How did he get himself talked into this? The Beyblade teams that competed in the national tournament two years ago had all been sent an invitation to a casual reunion for all the bladers at the Beyblade Stadium today and Kai's immediate answer was, of course, a resounding no. And yet, here he was, at the stadium, even though he said he wasn't going to go.

He really hadn't wanted to go. He hated social events to begin with, but this one was just depressing. Sure, the atmosphere was cheerful, but the one person who he really wanted to see at this so-called "reunion" was nowhere to be found-not that he had expected him to be there in the first place seeing as no one had seen the raven-haired beauty in over two years.

'This is pointless' he thought to himself as he stared around at all the bladers as they talked and laughed.

Sighing for what seemed to be the thousandth time that night, Kai walked over to his former teammates and stopped in front of them.

"I'm leaving," he announced in a cool, bored tone.

No one was surprised; they hadn't expected him to stay as long as he did anyway.

Turning to leave, he made it about two steps before he was stopped.

"Kai. Wait!" The brunette boy called out to him. Kai turned and glared at the boy, his image reflecting back at him in the genius boy's glasses. The teen boldly stood his ground under that cold stare. Running his hand through his hair exhasperatedly, Kai sucked in a deep breath before releasing it to calm his nerves. He was always on edge nowadays.

"What Kenny?" Instead of giving a straight answer, Kenny chose to instead point behind Kai, in the direction of the front doors of the ball room. Observing the stunned looks on his companions' faces as they stared at something behind Kai that was unbeknownst to him, Kai slowly turned around, almost hesitant of what he may find.

He scanned his eyes over the doorway, not knowing exactly what he was looking for, before something caught his eye, causing him to suck in a painful breath, his eyes widening slightly in surprise.

"...Rei..."

**_…_**

Rei walked into the stadium slowly, trying his best not to limp. Every step was agony and torture. The deep gashes on his back and stomach from the whip throbbed and ached while the small cuts from the blade his father had used were made just large enough to draw blood and leave an annoying sting behind. His head throbbed where it had been hit against the cement floor of the basement when he fell unconscious at some point he didn't remember. Coupled with waking up with an uncomfortable itching to the side of his head where the blood had dried, and his wound had been left untreated, he had a splitting headache. His whole body ached from sleeping on the cold, damp cement floor all night and he had a fever from an infection somewhere on one of his many wounds. His back still throbbed dully, but it wasn't so much bothering him because of the physical aspects, but more mental, or emotional.

He looked around. He hoped that no one would notice the wounds that were still bleeding. He had bandaged them, but even the bandages wouldn't stop the bleeding of some of the more severe wounds. To try and try and hide them, he had worn a black hoodie with a pair of black leather pants that fit slightly tighter than necessary. He also had on some black, buckled army boots that fit snugly over his feet.

Under the hoodie that he wore, he had on a black sleeveless top. His hopes were that with all the dark colors, the bloodstains wouldn't stand out too much; he didn't want people asking questions. He had put on a black bandanna as well, just so it wouldn't stand out with all the other articles of clothing that he was wearing. It effectively covered the bandages on his head so he didn't have to worry about it. Yet he still kept his hood up to hide his now-short and unrully hair. It tended to flip every which direction.

He had cut his hair off with a pocket knife soon after he had moved back in with his father. It was always crusty with blood and he never got the chance to do anything with it, so he just gave up.

Despite his hopes to remain unseen, it seemed like he was making quite a scene. Many whispers could be heard around him, most of which came from people, both men and women, that he only vaguely recognized. Did he really stand out that much? Even with the conservative clothes he was wearing? With his acute hearing, he could hear every word said about him. Many of the snide remarks were quite vulgar, and if he weren't used to such despicable treatement, his whole face, including his ears, would probably be turning bright red at the moment.

_"Damn he's hot!"_

_"Wouldn't mind getting a piece of that ass! HaHaHa!" _(Rei cringed upon seeing the large, porky man who had made the comment.)

_"Wow...so pretty!"_

_"Is it a boy or a girl...?" _(Rei just smirked at this; he had gotten that all the time with his long hair. Now, he didn't see anything in himself that resembled a girl, except maybe his slim figure.)

Many more remarks similar to these had been made since the minute he walked in, by men and women alike. Arguments had even been started over whether he were male or female. He just had to smirk at that and enjoy the rare amusement that washed through him. He probably wouldn't get another chance to have some entertainment in a while, so he might as well enjoy his time away from his father.

Though, this form of entertainment he found odd. Why make such a fuss over him...? He was your average 5'7" boy, with raven hair, cat-like amber eyes, and average body type. 'Oh well...' he thought. 'As long as they're just talking about my looks, then I don't care...'

_**…**_

Kai walked slowly towards Rei, the rest of the Bladebreakers following closely behind. Kai took no notice of anything around him; his eyes never left the neko-jin. He was afraid that if he looked away then Rei would disappear again. So with that in mind, Kai kept his eyes glued to the exotic Chinese boy and charged forward, practically plowing through people as he went.

What he couldn't understand was why the neko-jin was dressed the way that he currently was. He had always prided himself in his home country's dress, but now he wore plain street clothes, all of them dark in color. Rei had always loved to wear bright colors, said they improved people's outlook on things when they were agitated, but now...the clothes he was outfitted in gave him a gloomy, yet mysterious look. 'Kind of sexy,' Kai had to admit.

What also struck him as odd was the fact that he kept his hood on, even in the stadium. Rei was never so rude as to do that before.

The differences in the Rei now from the Rei of the past only became more apparent as the group moved forward. Possibly the only reason that the group had recognized him was the way his eyes glinted when the light touched them. Otherwise, they would probably have missed him completely.

Upon arriving behind Rei, Kai and the others stopped a few feet from him, only now hesitating. What do you say to a friend that disappears for so long without an obvious reason or heads-up?

Their contemplation was cut short as Rei felt their presence, as if he sensed their eyes on him, and turned around. He had been in such deep thought about whether his friends-well, more than likely former friends-were here, that he hadn't noticed approaching footsteps until they were right behind him. Expecting the footfalls to belong to people he really didn't want to see, Rei had turned around on reflex, steeling himself for a possible barrage of questions from former blading rivals or VIP fans.

Instead, he turned around to come face-to-face with the most beautiful eyes one would ever encounter.

After years of practice, he managed to hide his surprise behind a carefully crafted mask that skillfully slid onto his face, almost effortlessly. The mask he had crafted over the years had been used so often that he no longer had to think or coax himself into slipping it on. No one could see anything he didn't want them to see. His mask, his shield, was inpenetrable. It would rival Kai's, if not put it to shame.

Kai studied the face of the lovely boy standing before him intently. There were several cuts and small bruises scattered along his face and his eyes were hooded over to block anyone from seeing his emotions; his face was just a blank slate. He had obviously had a lot of practice with this and Kai didn't like it. Rei had said that he was going back to China. The last time he went home, he had changed no where _near _as much. He had become a better and stronger blader, sure, but he hadn't become like this! It was as if he were a statue, carved from cold, hard marble. The little nicks and mars on his face looked as if that marble had been weathered by a storm.

Kai's suspicions began to rise when Rei still showed no reaction to the sudden reunion with long-missed friends. Something was very wrong here, and apparently the rest of his team agreed with him judging by the gasps from behind him.

"...Rei?" Kai questioned when the young neko had still not said anything.

Rei only cocked his head as if he were contemplating something. Then he took his hood off, the action was followed by a chorus of gasps-something Rei had fully expected-when they saw his beloved raven hair hacked off.

Kenny looked solemly at the stranger-like friend before him. The tech-boy had grown a lot, but he had not caught up with Rei, who had grown almost as much as Kai at his 6'. He had to crane his neck a bit to look into the boy's eyes. "Umm..." Thinking better of asking the boy _What's going on?,_ he paused to revise his question. "How...how have you been, Rei?"

"..." Rei only continued to look at the people he once called friends. Why were they talking to him? Weren't they mad? Didn't they hate him? Confusion settled in Rei's mind like a fog lingering over a city, clouding everything around it.

"Where have you been?" Tyson blurted, not able to take it anymore. "We were so worried!" Tears began to stream down the Beyblade champion's face and he hugged his blonde-haired lover to his chest, unmindful of the stares at not only his strange public behavior, but also at the exchange between former teammates(1).

More murmers could be heard as recognition registered in the minds of those who had even just gotten a glimpse of Rei Kon.

_"What happened to him?"_

_"His hair was always so beautiful! I was so envious!"_

_"No way! It's Rei Kon!"_

_"No one's heard from him in forever! What do you..."_

Rei tuned out the excited and curious whispers and stood there for a moment before letting a small, almost non-existent smile creep onto his lips, not from the gossip, but because of the group of teenagers in front of him. His friends still cared about him despite his abrupt departure. No matter how many times Rei scolded himself for caring so much, for being so relieved that they still worried about him, he couldn't help but feel happy at the prospect. Despite his misgivings about being near them, in case his father had someone watching him, the burden of his secret was still lifted slightly from his shoulders, even if only for now, for this moment.

Finally deigning that he should reply, Rei struggled for something to say that wouldn't give them any inclinations of what he had been through. "I've been...home," he muttered quietly, his voice cool and devoid of emotion. No matter how much he wanted to jump into his secret crush's arms, the one he had most missed, he knew he couldn't. He had to stay distanced and aloof from them. He had no choice if he wanted to keep them out of danger.

At the emotionless tone of voice, the four teens were stunned. Rei had always, _always,_ treated everyone with warmth and kindness, those close to him especially.

"Something's not right, Rei...What's wrong?" Max suddenly asked.

Rei hesitated for a moment, despising himself for what he was going to, no, what he _had _to do next. "What's wrong?" He mimicked, glaring cruelly down at the blue-eyed blonde before him. "I don't want to see all of you, that's what's wrong." He bared his fangs and fisted his hands to add emphasis to his words. He purposefully dredged up terrible memories from living with his father, allowing the anger to engulf him in its overwhelming, heated rage. It added to the act that he was putting on, igniting the fire, as his eyes slit, becoming more cat-like as the gold in them burned bright with long-hidden emotion. "Why the hell do you think I left in the first place?" He hissed in a low, almost inaudible voice. He was not talking to friends; no, he was talking to his father. The father of his past, the father he ran away from. "I never wanted to see you again, so why did you seek me out?" He was talking to his father, the one who had found him after all that time.

His emotions were getting stronger and stronger and he allowed them to burst past his barriers in an attempt to ward off the people he cared for most. If they were seen as a weakness for Rei, his father would not hesitate to exploit them to the fullest to hurt Rei.

Rei continued to glare at the people before him, before turning and heading out the entrance doors. He didn't want to make even more of a commotion than they already had in case his father did indeed have someone watching his son. He knew that the Bladebreakers would follow him in an attempt to decipher his behavior and, right on cue, they pursued him out into the chilly February air. But when they emerged from the doorway, Rei was nowhere to be found. Unbeknownst to the confused teens, the agile amber-eyed boy had scaled the nearest building to escape from the group in the fastest way possible. He currently hid in the dusky shadows of the building, perfect for hiding a desperate neko, as he watched the four give up and file back inside.

**_…_**

After the reunion, Rei had just disappeared again, as if he were never even there. The only proof the bladers had that they had all seen Rei, tangibly and not in some kind of bizarre shared dream, were the rumors of Rei's return to Japan after two years of being MIA(2).

The former Bladebreakers now sat, all of them cozily snuggled in the living room, as they discussed their strange meeting with Rei.

"...What are we going to do?" Tyson asked the obvious for the millionth time that evening from beside his boyfriend on the love seat. He was met with a cold glare from Kai and exhasperated sighs from the two other petite boys.

"Shut it, Tyson," Kai bit out.

"What'd you say?" He snapped.

Kai stood up from his position opposite from the wielder of the dragon bit-beast, Dragoon. "You heard me." Kai said calmly but with a warning twined with each word.

Max sighed. He would have to play mediator for the two. Again. "Guys...fighting is not going to explain what's going on here." The blonde heaved another large sigh and drew a hand back through his hair tiredly before adding in a quiet tone, "...Or bring him back for that matter..."

Kai shot one last glare at the obnoxious blunette before sitting back down on the couch he had vacated previously, the one he always sat on, the one Rei last sat on. Tyson soon followed suit, both of them knowing that Max's statement ran true, but all of them frustrated and needing answers.

"Let's just talk about this." Dizzi said from her position on Kenny's lap. As always, the boy's chocolate brown hair hid his eyes, his large-framed glasses pushed up on his forehead as he stared down at his beloved computer and bit-beast.

"Dizzi's right," he agreed, "we have to figure out what's going on. Rei has changed a lot, well, we all have, but him more so. Do you think something happened to him before he got home? Or maybe before he got to the reunion and he just didn't want to say anything to us?" The boy asked, trying to use his intelligence to find answers, something that seemed almost impossible with the little information they had.

"Maybe he got into a fight or something and lost? Maybe he was ashamed to look at us? I know I would be." Tyson suggested.

"Ty, Rei can take care of himself, and besides, he completely hid whatever he was thinking." Max gently chided him. "He used to be so easy to read, remember? When he was happy, he smiled or laughed, when he was sad, he cried. When he was scared, he tried not to show it, but it was still evident."

Kenny nodded in agreement, his eyes showing that he was only partially listening, still lost in thought. "What about his appearance?" he asked the group. All eyes turned to him in confusion. They all knew Rei had changed, so why was he bringing it up? Noticing all the attention he was getting, the soft-spoken boy blushed a bit, not realizing he had even spoken aloud. "I mean," he continued, "he looked in bad shape." At the looks that said 'we know,' he revised. "What I'm trying to say is that he looked feverish..."

"What?" Kai asked. He had noticed a lot of things about Rei, but he hadn't seen any signs of a fever. Then again, he wasn't a doctor, and he didn't have an super-intelligent, boundlessly informed, super computer/bit-beast either.

At the confusion he was met with, Kenny's eyebrows rose slightly. "You didn't see? He was pale, but he was a little flushed, too. Just slightly. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was sweating, even though it was fairly cool in the stadium. Those are all signs and symptoms of infection according to Dizzi."

"It's true," Dizzi confirmed.

"So what...what..." Max stuttered. Clearing his throat and gathering his thoughts, he tried again. "What does that mean?" he asked, knowing that he wouldn't like the answer, judging by the look on Kenny's face and the abnormal silence on Dizzi's part at the chance to give her own input.

Silence followed the anxious blonde's question and trepidation hung in the air like a descending fog. "Well?" Kai demanded impatiently when the boy still failed to answer the question.

Kenny sucked in a breath and blinked rapidly, unable to voice the words to his friends. "He..." his voice cracked and the tears began to flow down his cheeks now. "If Rei has an infection..." He took a short pause to collect himself, a painful lump in his throat. "If he has an infection, he needs treated...soon. If not...Rei will...R-Rei will die." He stuttered, unable to hold his sobs in any longer.

Shock and fear shot through the teenagers like white-hot lightning, burning them inside out at the realization of the true gravity of the situation that Rei was in.

Rei slowly walked back to the hotel that he and his father were staying in. This time around, they were staying in the Kamikaze Inn, a prestigious five-star hotel that many famous people tended to go to to get away from the paparazzi. It was perfect for the two to hide out for a while. The staff never said a word to anyone about who was currently staying there, in fear of losing such a high-paying job and having the wrath of their boss descend upon them, so they could stay there without fear of being found by anyone they didn't want to find them.

After taking the elevator to the twelfth floor, Rei quietly opened the door to their suite, room 606, and stepped cautiously inside. He was later than he was supposed to be, about four hours late in fact, and he knew his father would be pissed. He didn't care though. He enjoyed his freedom, however short-lived it may have been. But now, he would have to pay the consequences, he realized, as he slipped off his shoes and socks-he preferred to be able to walk without hinderance, in the slim hope of escaping the sharp senses of his father-and stepped into the living room. His father had apparently waited for him to get home, for he sat in the recliner, a lazy smirk spread across his face when he saw his son walk into the room.

"**_Well, well, Rei. Took you long enough._**" He said, putting down the newspaper he had been reading by the light of the lamp next to him, and standing up. He held his hand out to the younger neko-jin and his smirk grew wider when the boy obediently stepped forward, closer to the older man. "**_I believe punishment is in order, no?_**" he asked gleefully. He was clearly enjoying this, at the same time being extremely angry at his son for disobeying him and staying out so late.

The man pulled the compliant and expressionless teen with him over to the large, extravagant bedroom. Rei had no chance to enjoy the tasteful room though, before he was roughly shoved down onto the bed, his father crawling on top of him. Rei lay there, unmoving, as his father did as he pleased. The only good thing about being back in Japan in an unfamiliar hotel room was that his father could not beat him. The blood would catch anyone's attention. So Rei didn't complain, he took whatever his father did to him, knowing that things would be ten times worse-in other words, back to normal-when they returned to China.

Ripping Rei's hoodie to shreds with his powerful claws, Yuuji Kon [**finally! his name! XD**] bared his son's chest and immediately proceeded to nip and bite at the younger's collar bone, drawing small traces of blood. The only response from the boy was a slight hiss from the pain.

Annoyed by the dull response he got from his antics, Yuuji grew impatient. Reaching down, he stripped Rei of his pants and boxers in one fluid motion, drawing a small yelp of surprise and dread from the boy underneath him. After getting the reaction he sought, the man smiled cruelly before shoving two of his fingers roughly into the boy's most intimate hole, earning a strangled groan of pain from the other's mouth.

Rei's eyes began to tear up as his father-no, he wasn't his father-as _Yuuji_ thrust his fingers in and out of his ass, causing tremors of pain to shoot through his body. He distantly heard the twisted man chuckle in pleasure at that as he added another finger. The lack of lube was taking its toll; his inner walls protested, burning with each dry thrust.

The amber-eyed boy wanted so much to protest, but knew that it was useless. The bastard above him would only enjoy it more, so Rei kept quiet as always, and tried to hide in the recesses of his mind, all to no avail. 'Please...just put it in and be done!' he begged silently.

As if hearing his silent pleas, or maybe the twisted neko-jin just couldn't contain his pleasure anymore, Yuuji unzipped his own pants just enough to release his erection with an animalistic groan of pleasure. Roughly grasping Rei's hips, he mercilessly entered the raven-haired boy in one, painful thrust before Rei could prepare himself. He almost didn't catch the scream of torture before it passed through his lips, but by sheer force of will, he managed to supress it. He wouldn't give his father the satisfaction of taking his body _and_ knowing that he was breaking Rei each time he forced himself on him. He would carry that knowledge with him till the end.

'Damn...you!' Rei thought viciously as his father rammed into him harder each time as his orgasm approached. Rei felt nauseas as his father panted over him, his thrusts becoming sporatic before he released his seed deep inside his own son, his hands tightening to a bruising grip on Rei's hips. With a groan of satisfaction and exhaustion, Yuuji collapsed on the boy under him, knocking the breath out of the slim figure, before smirking and pulling out of the still figure and rolling to his side to replace his pants.

"**_Hope you enjoyed that, slut._**" He muttered before rising from the bed and stalking out the door, slamming it behind him, as he left Rei alone to sleep and face the demons in his nightmares...

**(1)The Bladebreakers officially and publicly split up shortly after Rei left**

**(2)MIA: Missing in action, for those who don't know**

**_A/N: _Um...I hope that wasn't too bad...It was my first lemon scene. -_- Like I said, this is going to be my trial fic to see if I want to write my own lemon for my story, _Son of a Yakuza!_, or if I'm going to have one of my favorite authors do it (who already agreed :D) Anyway! Please review and tell me how I did. This chapter COMPLETELY veered from the original Chapter Three so I'm kind of wondering myself where it's going to lead. We'll see I guess ^ ^ So! Hit that little button below and review please! You already read it, so you might as well review! Right? Right...? X3**

**_JUST A QUICK NOTE!:_ That was not the lemon that I was talking about when I said I would definitely write a lemon for this story, just so you know. There will be another. Or maybe others. Depending on how well this goes. Thanks again for reading! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Disclaimer: _Hmm...-thinks-...Tch! Damn! Still don't own _Beyblade_...(I do own Yuuji and Mariko, though)**

**_WARNING:_ Somewhat gory death of an original character.**

Chapter Four

_**"**__Mother! Mother, please! What are you doing?__**" The anguished cry escaped from the six-year-old, fear and anxiety causing his throat to close tight around the words.**_

_**"**__You stay away from me, you filth! It's your fault! Your fault!__**" the beautiful, ebony-haired woman screamed cruelly at her son. "**__He's going to leave me! I know it! And it's all because of you, you bastard!__**"**_

_**"**__W-what? What do you mean, Mother? I don't understand,__**" the boy cried out pitifully as he stared at his mother. She stood precariously close to the deep gorge caused by the latest earthquake. "**__What did I do? I can fix it! I'll be a good boy, Mama, just-__**"**_

_**"**__Don't you call me your mother! I never wanted you!__**" The harsh words echoed off the rocks of the natural disaster, ringing in the boy's ears. Despair clawed at his being, threatening to drag him into the dark depths of his mind. "**__Just one time,__**" she sobbed, "**__I only slept with him that one time! And _you _had to come along and ruin my life! I never wanted to sleep with him, but Yuuji...oh Yuuji...he was never around then and I...*hic*...I needed someone, needed some comfort!__**"**_

_**The woman continued to sob as the wind pulled at her hair, her clothes, threatened to pull her into the gorge that seemed to ever-entice her at this time of year. The anniversary of that wretched being's birth as he was dispelled from her body, screaming into existence. **_

_**Mariko Kon shivered in remembrance, disgust, at her son's birth. Even the thought of that thing growing in her abdomen had revolted her. So many times she had wanted to be rid of him, to plunge a knife deep into herself, destroying that creature of sin, but never had she been able to. No, she had to keep up the pretense that the boy was sired by her husband, not the man with whom she had had an affair.**_

_**"**__I should have killed you back then,__**" she whispered brokenly, her hoarse voice almost inaudible, even to the ears of a neko-jin.**_

_**The boy's heart dropped to his stomach as his mother inched closer to the edge. "**__Mother, please don't do this! Please! Father isn't going to leave you, I promise! PLEASE!__**" he begged pathetically, tears streaming down his face in rivers, his eyes clouded with sorrow and pain. "**__I'll leave,__**" he blurted in a last attempt to dissuade her. "**__I'll leave and you can live with Father, just the two of you. I'll be out of your life and you can live happily together!__**"**_

_**The woman shook her head, her eyes mirroring the same sorrow in her twin amber eyes as her son's, and spread her hands wide, as if to embrace someone. With a single tear falling down her left cheek, she closed her eyes and allowed the wind to finally pull her down, down into the gorge. The soft smile, which had been on her face since she had fallen backwards, disappeared and her mouth opened wide in a horrid, bone chilling scream when her back crashed into a rock jutting out from the seemingly-smooth walls. She continued to scream as she descended, hitting several boulders, marring her beautiful features, watched intently by her son who will forever be scarred.**_

_**He screamed for help as he watched, helplessly, as his beloved mother was completely shrouded in darkness. He dropped to his knees when he could no longer see her and screamed his anguish and pain to the sky as he heard her broken body hit the ground with a sickening squelch before members of his village began to flock to him, seeking the source of his misery...**_

_**...**_

"Nooo!"

Rei shot up out of bed and instantly regretted his actions. The motion caused his stiff body to protest loudly, sending waves of dizzying nausea to wash over him. His body was soaked in a cold sweat, goose bumps arising on his arms and back, causing him to be wracked with violent shivers.

Recalling his dream, he bit his fist to prevent himself from crying out. That would be a sign of weakness. If it were heard by Yuuji, there would be hell to pay; a hell that the neko-jin may not walk away from.

His dream, coupled with the occurrences of just a few hours ago, caused tears to stream down his face and sobs, muffled by his knuckles, to shake and contort his body cruelly.

'Why? Why did it have to turn out like this?' Rei wondered in anguish as the sobs stopped and the tears ceased. Curling himself into a ball and retrieving the fallen blankets from the floor, he covered his head while he shook in fear and despair.

His shattered soul, battered body, and failing wish to live were testaments to his brutish lifestyle. Even the strongest of wills eventually break…

**_I know, I know. It's short. But I'm having a bit of writer's block, so I decided to just post what I had. I did write what I wanted conveyed in this chapter though, just not in so many words. Oh, well! Next chapter will be longer, promise!_**


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